Joe C

nothing helps - there will always be "butt cavities" out there that just plain don't care or respect other people's property...

Paul Workman

Unless you have a garage queen and only trailer it while covered, whether it be a mar from some A-hole bashing your car, or rock chips, or getting caught in a hail storm (I did), chips are gonna happen! So, either we accept that or don't drive it.

However, I breath a lot easier after discovering the Langka chip repair kit. Now that I know I can fix all little (and even some BIG chips and scratches), I don't worry so much. I still park in BFE, but I don't agonize over a "booboo" anymore.

Some have had trouble with that kit and don't like it. But, I found the secret to using it is the temperature and drying time allowed for the touch-up paint.

I basically follow the directions supplied with the kit, far as using the kit goes. The key is applying the kit when the paint is "just right": Too soon and the kit will leave a little sunken pit in the touch-up paint, and too late and the "blob" of touch-up will not level easily or at all. Either a pit or bump is repairable, but if you catch it just right, it takes a lot less time to fix a chip.

I have had best luck by dabbing three pits and letting them dry for different lengths of time and then applying the kit. I apply the paint "blobs", crack open a brewski, and apply the kit to the first blob after waiting about 20 minutes.

If the paint levels OK, then I quickly do the other two test spots and go with 20 minute wait time on the rest of the repairs (if any). But, if the paint pits or washes out, then I wait 10 minutes to try it on one of the other test "blobs", and so on.

Usually, I find that at approximately 70º F (21ºC) with moderate humidity the wait time is around 30 minutes. Cooler/wetter conditions take longer than warmer/drier.

Lots of practice makes perfect!

While on an outing one spring day I got caught in a sudden thunderstorm - complete with hail! No shelter anywhere, so I just kept driving at about 40 mph (and cussing up a friggin storm that would make a sailor blush!)

Luckily, the hail was only about dime size. As a result the damage was limited to the front bumper and forward slope of the clam shell. The top and rear deck were not chipped at all! That was the good news. The bad news was there were dozens of little chips - mostly fleck size - all over the front!

At the time I had a black 95, and if "it" works on black (wax, polish, paint repair or whatever), then it works on anything.

This pic was taken after the repairs. Not the best way to analyze the results, but afterward I could not see where the chips were, and I knew where to look!



So, armed with a route to easily fixing most dings and scratches, I don't worry so much about normal crap and just enjoy driving the Vette. (I was even able to fix where some idiot burned thru the paint with a buffer, exposing the primer on the edge of several body panels!) Hope this helps someone out there that might be agonizing over getting/having a chip or two.

P.

GREGG-73

WHAT???????????? Door ding's & chip's....

Off with the perp's head!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stay in tune....

cal55

Thanks for the info Paul, your car looks great in the pic. I'll have to keep that in mind for future reference. I try to park away from other cars too when possible even at work it doesn't matter what I'm driving. Sometimes you can't and just hope the person is careful that's parked next to you. I had a new 79 Datsun 280ZX, my first new car and was dinged in my banks parking lot. I waited for the person to come out and after a few minutes I went in the bank and when I came out they were gone. I saw them leaving but couldn't catch them. I had it repaired by the dealer and they did a terrible job, I had them redo it but it still wasn't to my satisfaction. I guess when I was younger my car was more of a priority than they are today. I like diagonal parking spaces, the chances of your car getting dinged are less likely or so it seems.
Joe

1991-C4

Sure, if you really want a '91 white coupé, I'd love to have your red vert!

So Bill Clinton gets off Air Force One with an Arkansas Razorback pig under each arm. He says, "I just got back from Little Rock and I got one for Hillary and one for Chelsea."

And I said, "Sounds like a good trade to me!"

j-vette

Langka implies clearing started in 1990. I thought my 88 had a clear coating. Anybody know when vettes started being clear coated...? TIA!

Q. Can The BlobEliminator be used on plastic bumpers or fiberglass?
A. Yes. Any clear coat painted surface. (All vehicles since 1990 are clear coated at the manufacture)

j-vette

But obviously the poor pig farmer was taken advantage of

rainsux89

Damn, thought I was **** about parking and door dings. Well I certainly wouldn't wish death or cancer or AIDS on someone who dings my door. It's nothing that a touch up brush couldn't fix.

DougSilver

I owned the Corvette for 14 years. Number of door dings--1. Similar experience with most of my other cars. This is entirely due to my **** practice when it comes to parking. I try to avoid lots, especially when the spaces are straight rather than angled. If I have to park in a lot of course I seek out the end spaces or spaces next to smaller vehicles, etc. The single ding I received in the Corvette was actually a pretty sizable chip of paint off the the side molding. I was going to see a movie with my wife at the local mall and we were in a bit of a hurry. I picked a spot with no cars on either side. When I came out there was one of those humongous Ford pickups parked next to the passenger side and their door obviously caused the paint chip.

It never fails. The one time I have a moment of weakness is when I end up with chips/dings.

Doug

FOURSPEEDVETTE

I guess this statement is supposed to be funny? Sick is more like it!